Newswatch
Kenneth Keliipio, 35, of Hilo, was killed while on duty when his vehicle was rear-ended by a car driven by an off-duty officer, also 35.
Before the accident, the off-duty officer, arrested for negligent homicide and suspicion of drunken driving, is believed to have attended a graduation party for a police recruit class at which alcohol was served.
"We know that he was at a party after the graduation," said police spokesman Sgt. Jay Enanoria.
The graduation took place at noon at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, he said. The party, not paid for by police funds, took place in the evening at the Hilo Yacht Club.
Officers arriving at the 10:36 p.m. accident scene just south of Hilo on the Volcano Highway, suspected the off-duty officer had been drinking, he said.
Enanoria went to Hilo Hospital where the officer was being treated for injuries. Enanoria arrested him and the officer voluntarily agreed to give a blood sample for alcohol testing, Enanoria said.
"He cooperated fully with us," Enanoria said.
Fellow officers were saddened by news of the accident. "The mood is pretty somber. It's a tragedy for both families as well as for the Police Department," Enanoria said.
At least two members of the 23-member Mililani Neighborhood Board have resigned because of liability from a lawsuit threatened by the Mililani Town Association and a dispute over a legal opinion questioning the board's action.
For the second year, the authority of a neighborhood board has been challenged. Last year, Manoa Neighborhood Board members agreed to pay damages for stepping into a dispute involving an area landlord and a potential client, and the city paid $20,000 as part of the settlement.
At issue in Mililani is a permit the city Department of Land Utilization granted to the association allowing an antenna to be used by VoiceStream Wireless on the site of a town association community center.
On Feb. 28, the neighborhood board filed an appeal with the city Board of Appeals over the permit.
The town association, to which all Mililani homeowners belong, threatened to sue the neighborhood board, whose members are elected by area residents.
Because of the threat, the board voted this week to withdraw its appeal.
"We're basically suing ourselves," said Richard Poirier, chairman of the Mililani Neighborhood Board.
The board is fighting the antenna because it believes it will be unsightly.
State Insurance Commissioner Rey Graulty said he reached an agreement with Queen's to take over the 12,000 local policies covered by PGMA. Graulty said the deal must be approved by a judge and Queen's board of directors.
"This agreement will enable PGMA to move forward, provide coverage and pay claims ... covered by PGMA plans," Graulty said.
Under the deal, Queen's will cover policyholders' medical claims after March 7. Claims before that will be covered by a trust set up to reimburse PGMA's creditors and policyholders.
Queen's also will inject capital into PGMA to beef up its statutory reserves. Graulty said Queen's will pay a transfer fee of up to $1.6 million.
Graulty noted that several local and mainland insurance companies and health plans have expressed interest in taking over PGMA. But he said that Queen's offered the best plan.
A Circuit Court judge will hold a hearing on the transaction in mid-April, Graulty said.